Ethos Issue 1, October 2006
Editorial
Welcome to the new Ethos.
Originally a newsletter started in 1994,
Ethos has since become a publication of no small ambition
and range. It has featured leading ideas on governance and
policy from some of the most senior and expert thinkers in
the Singapore Public Service and beyond. This is due in large
measure to the effort and intelligence of our previous editor,
Patricia Lam, to whom Ethos and its editorial team owe a great
debt.
With this issue, Ethos takes on an entirely
new look — one which we hope better reflects its values
as a smart, professional and forward-looking journal on governance
and public policy in Singapore. From 2007, Ethos will also
be published biannually with a meatier slate of articles on
thematic and general topics, as well as in Special Editions
throughout the year.
Certainly, the changes we aspire to are
more than cosmetic. We want to expand and deepen the scope
of reflection on issues that are pressing — or may become
so. Our vision is a journal where thought-leading, original
ideas are presented, contested, refined and shared among our
committed policymakers and scholars.
The Singapore Public Service enjoys a hard-won
reputation for being competent and forward-looking. Some of
the policies and initiatives put forward by our agencies are
cutting-edge innovations. They may well have wider relevance
and applicability both within and outside Singapore.
It is also folly to imagine that any government,
however capable, has a monopoly on good ideas. In a fast-moving,
globalised world, we cannot afford to lose track of the leading
edge in thinking and action, lest we miss vital opportunities
to leap ahead, or worse, be overtaken by events or the competition.
Perhaps most invaluable are ideas not yet
tried or tested, but which suggest new perspectives or approaches
to prevalent public issues. Some of these ideas may challenge
the status quo — but what new idea doesn’t? Others
may not find immediate utility in governance, although their
time may come.
Our inaugural issue brings to bear some of the leading minds
on a matter of global concern and national interest: Ageing.
By 2050, the number of persons over 60 years of age will exceed
that of children globally for the first time in human history.
Singapore is also expected to age rapidly. By estimates, older
persons will constitute 18.7% of Singapore’s population
in 2030.
These are figures for policymakers to note
with some urgency, because the window of opportunity in which
to take effective action, is now. What can we expect in the
decades to come and what can we do about it today?
Ethos features an interview with former
UN Chief Demographer Dr Joseph Chamie, who addresses stagnant
fertility rates in the context of a fast-growing senior population
worldwide. Dr Sarah Harper, Director of the Oxford Institute
of Ageing, contests the prevailing notion that a greying society
necessarily means a declining one. Professor Norbert Walter,
Chief Economist of the Deutsche Bank Group, forecasts changes
in global labour, savings and investment patterns as the baby
boomer population retires. Olivia Goh from the Ministry of
Community Development, Youth and Sports reviews Singapore’s
policy approaches to ageing in the context of social support
and pension regimes worldwide. Andrew Kwok from the Singapore
Civil Service College rounds up our issue with a thoughtful
opinion piece identifying key areas for attention in Singapore’s
ageing policies.
Ethos will continue to convene the best
and most interesting thinking about public policy from Singapore
and elsewhere. In due course, we hope to generate a vigorous,
healthy discourse from the mix.
Let us know what you think of the new Ethos
design and the articles in this issue. Tell us what you would
like to see in future issues and send us your contributions
or ideas for future articles, at any time. Above all, we hope
that you will find the new Ethos relevant, thought-provoking,
and a good read.
We look forward to hearing from you.
Alvin Pang
Editor, Ethos
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